Resources for Youth and Young Adult Ministry When you hear or read the words “White Supremacy,” what thoughts come to mind, what emotions surface? For some of us, it is a fear-filled phrase that conjures images of white hoods and robes that seems totally dissonant with our Unitarian Universalist faith. For others, it is a term of criticism that exposes the ways our wider culture and even our systems within UUism continue to privilege the feelings, ideas, success and lives of white people over people of color. Because of our lived experiences and our intersecting identities, we may all have different reactions to this phrase. As Rev. Sofia Betancourt, interim co-president for our Unitarian Universalist…

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Meet the Next Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees. We are pleased to announce that the 2017-2019 Youth Observer Election has come to a close and we are have a brand-new Youth Observer! Seven congregations participated in this year’s election and the results were close. Our next Youth Observer will be Tanner Linden. Tanner will begin his term at the end of General Assembly, and serve alongside Bailey Saddlemire during the second and final year of her term. Tanner has experience serving on the Pacific Southwest District Youth Board, as well as serving on other committees, councils, and positions in the Pacific Western Region. Please welcome Tanner to his new role.

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From the staff of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries UPDATED 3/31/17. [Since the publication of this post from our office, the President of the UUA has resigned (read the reporting of this event on UU World here), and the Leadership Council of the UUA released this statement.] – ed. A very important conversation has been happening about the insidious white supremacy in our Unitarian Universalist Association, centering currently around our hiring practices. We encourage you to do some digging and read multiple perspectives in this conversation. A good place to start is the 3/27 UUWorld article, statement from Black Lives of UU and this Compilation of Responses. With gratitude to those reminding…

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VOTE YOUR CHOICE BY APRIL 10, 2017 Learn about the voting process for the Youth Observer to the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees here. (Remember, youth vote as a block with their youth group.) Read their candidate statement here. Watch the videos by Aine Hunt and Tanner Linden explaining why they want to be your Youth Observer to the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees. (The videos appear in alphabetical order.) Access the On-line Ballot here. Or the paper ballot here.

General Assembly 2017 of the Unitarian Universalist Association will be a gathering like no other. Responsive to the hurt and upheaval enhanced by the Trump administration and more responsive still to the yearning for joy, creativity and togetherness, GA17: Resist and Rejoice will be a transformative spiritual community event. The 2017 Youth Caucus staff are dedicated to creating an experience that galvanizes the youth of our movement by deepening our collective Unitarian Universalist spirituality and helping youth make an impact on our association through General Assembly. They will be working alongside YA@GA staff and, new this year, the Thrive@GA Youth and Young Adult Coordinators. Memorize these faces! Eric Broner Sr. Dean Eric Broner lives in Atlanta, GA…

What is the role of spiritual community in these times? We’ve been asking that question over and over, particularly as we think about our upcoming Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. What is the point of gathering, especially a gathering that takes so many resources, when so many of us are in pain, subject to violence, unclear what the months between here and there will bring? This General Assembly the theme is “Resist and Rejoice.” And we certainly have much need for resistance. The white supremacy, greed fueled economic inequality, hetero-patriarchy and ableism that existed before Trump was elected is gaining ground in our government and in our streets. These developments are horrifying, outrageous, scary. So…

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General Assembly (GA) is many things: transformitive, spirit filling, jam packed, challenging, fortifying… and expensive. We want to do everything we can to make sure money doesn’t hold you back from attending GA. There are lots of ways to get to GA and have a fabulous time without turning your pockets inside out. First things first, you’ve got to figure out how much it’s going to cost you to attend. via GIPHY Make a budget You’ll need to budget for registration (and if you’re a youth, consider your sponsor’s registration too), transportation, housing, food and some extra spending money (sure, for fun – but also for unforeseen circumstances). Use this handy-dandy budget template to get…

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#UU Campus Q’s Episode Five The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries invites Matt Stidman and Marion Hirsch (narrated by Stephanie Carey Maron) to tackle the problem of transferring leadership of campus ministry so it continues even after you’re gone. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released! (Spoiler alert: Marion’s narration is particularly animated!)

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Register now for the new and improved UU-UNO Spring Seminar Registration for the 2017 Intergenerational Spring Seminar of the Unitarian Universalist Association United Nations Office is now open! The seminar, Arm in Arm: Interfaith Action to Disarm Our Planet, takes place in New York City April 5-8, 2017. Learn about international and local disarmament efforts, hear stories about partnership with people of different faith backgrounds taking action against the armed violence in our world, and gain skills to take action yourself! Early registration rates are available until Jan. 23, 2017. This year the UU-UNO Spring Seminar is better than ever! What’s so new and great about this year’s Seminar? Content is action-oriented. You’ll learn about the problems facing our world…

#UUCampusQ’s Episode Four Students on campus need your community now, so get the word out! The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries invites Carey McDonald, Outreach Director at the UUA to discuss how Campus Ministries can get the word out on what they do in noticeable, memorable and effective ways. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released! Carey has thought a lot about this and shares some pizzazzy tips: